


Twintale

by HeartOfInk



Category: Ao no Exorcist | Blue Exorcist, Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Chara Being Chara, F/F, F/M, Gen, Pacifist Frisk, Rin is Frisk, Rin is a dork, Sharing a Body, Spoilers - Undertale Pacifist Route, Yukio has Chara
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-03
Updated: 2016-10-03
Packaged: 2018-08-19 09:36:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8200294
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeartOfInk/pseuds/HeartOfInk
Summary: When Rin and Yukio fall into Mount Ebbot, the last thing they expected was to find a whole new world. It will be a memorable experience for the two....or three?





	1. Fallen down

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my first Undertale fic....hope I did the character's justice!  
> Was Rin's motivations for the name change clear enough?

Eight-year-old Okumura Rin walked leisurely up the mountain, mind running wild with the legends this particular mount had. It was said that nobody who climbed Mount Ebbot returned ever again. How someone had thought this place was a good idea for a class trip was beyond him.

He did have to admit, the mount itself was peaceful. At least Yukio seemed like he was having fun, for once nobody bullying him for either his intelligence or his crybaby status. Oh no. The second the class had been told about the supposed 'legend' that involved the mountain -monsters being trapped underground- heads had been turned to him, communicating their desire in whispered claims.

_Demon child._

_Monster._

_You should be down there too._

To his credit, Yukio looked upset for the choice of words- Rin sped up after brushing off some leaves of his blue-and-purple striped sweater- but he didn't say anything. Rin didn't blame him. They were an unlikely pair- the demon child and the brightest of the class- even if they tended to be shunned for it. Rin didn't exactly enjoy that. That was the reason why he didn't like school. He wanted to go away, change his name and go to a different school, one where nobody would know of Okumura Rin, the demon child.

Which brought him to this moment. He had only intended to go on his own for a bit, to get away from all the noise, but the looming rock formation above, standing tall and proud...it was an open invitation, really. It would be only for a while. Neither the Sensei or Yukio would notice. He just wanted some peace and quie-

Woah.

A large, dark hole was spread out before him, almost like a void to some unknown realm, beckoning the light to be absorbed. Carefully, Rin picked up a nearby stone, walked up to the edge and threw it in. He did not hear it hit the bottom.

"Rin-Nii-san, don't!" a high pitched voice called from behind, rapid footsteps following. _Thumpthumpthump..._

The aforementioned child turned around, finally catching sight of his little brother rushing towards him as quickly as his legs would carry him, panicked tears behind his glasses and staining his green and yellow sweater. The thought of his Nii-san falling down there made all rational thought fly from Okumura Yukio's head. Rin held his hands on a placating manner, intending to tell the glasses-clad child that jumping over the edge had never been their intention, or would have if Yukio had lost his momentum.

Rin watched as, very near him, his twin brother's shoe caught on a vine, and he tumbled forward, both boys colliding. Desperately, they reached out one last time, brushing their fingers together...

* * *

 

Yukio was pretty sure his mind had broken when he felt soil beneath his fingers. A strong smell of flowers permeated his nose. If they had died, and when a person dies their souls go back to Gehenna, then the mirror dimension wasn't as bad as Yukio thought. He registered the smell and realized that, surprise surprise, he was still feeling. His sea green eyes opened fully, and the first thing he saw was a pinprick of light. How was he still alive? Falling from that distance would usually have spelled certain death both for him and Nii-san, so why...

...

...

...

..

.

**_Nii-san!_ **

Slowly, Yukio managed to pull himself upright. It took a few moments before he felt steady enough on his feet before he looked around at his surroundings. Traces of sunlight barely managed to filter in through the small cracks in the mouth of the cavern. Rin-Nii-san was alive and sitting, thank God, and was slowly twirling a flower between his fingers, a bored expression on his face.

Then Rin looked around and spotted his brother. "You're awake, Kio! I thought we were goners for sure, but those," he slowed the flower in his hand. "Broke our fall!" But did they break their fall? Or was it them calling both twins to trip up? Otherwise, there was nothing but darkness circling them. Oh, and a destroyed pillar.

The navy-haired boy scratched his head. Hell certainly looked odd. He actually expected more fire and brimstone, not a tiny place filled with flowers. With Yukio awake, and relatively unharmed, he decided the best thing to do was to start walking.

"Kio, can you walk?" he asked, absentmindedly putting the flower beneath his ear, with half a mind to give it to his Tou-san as to lessen the scold that would sure befall him once they're out of there.

The affirmative given by the younger of the two was what made them start their journey. They walked hand in hand, feeling the walls to guide them and carefully moving their feet to avoid stepping on stray stones. Their eyes were wide open, but it didn't do much good on a place where the only source of natural light had been regretfully left behind.

But then, they saw it. A small, dim light, highlighting a lone flower in the midst of a barren space. The twins saw a path behind it, and knew they would have to follow it, to try and find an exit from...whenever they were.

But then, the flower turned around and _looked_ at them.

...Wait.

Flowers weren't supposed to have a _face_.

 _A demon?!_ was Yukio's startled thought the second he laid eyes on it, but judging by his elder brother's yelp, a demon it was not. Unless Rin had somehow gained the ability to see them, but it was unlikely.

"Howdy!" the flower cheerfully greeted them, with Rin managing a shocked 'hi' in response. Yukio's reaction was not much better.

"You're a talking flower."

"Ye—"

"With a face. You're a talking flower with a face. You have teeth and eyes and **—** _fangs_? Why do you have fangs? How does that even work? Why does a flower have teeth? Do you have a digestive track? Or a skeleton? What would a flower's skeleton look like? ...And how can you talk? And _what—?"_

Yukio snapped his jaw shut as Rin lightly cuffed him behind the head. "Ssh, moley-four-eyes, the flower was talking."

"As I was saying..." the flower started up again, seemingly not bothered by the interruption. "Howdy. I'm Flowey. Flowey the flower," now it was Yukio's turn to subtly elbow Rin as he tried to muffle a snort. "You two must be lost."

"I'm Yukio."

"Where are we?" Rin asked.

"You've landed yourself in the Underground. A world of _literal_ monsters." Flowey explained. Yukio nodded, relaxing a tad despite the description. At least this wasn't Gehenna.

"M-Monsters?" Rin blurted out, disbelief coloring his voice. Flowey nodded. "You're seriously expecting me to believe that?"

"Says the human listening to a talking flower."

"...Point taken."

"You two must be really confused, huh? Someone must teach you how things work around here." the flower proceeded to extend its two sepals, extending them wide and poking the two boys in their chest. Immediately Rin brought a hand to his chest, feeling pain blossoming, while Yukio groaned quietly. Awe filled two pairs of eyes as the areas where their hearts should be started glowing, which eventually shot out to their palm lever. The light had taken the stereotypical form of hearts. Yukio's was a bright purple while Rin's was a bright red and, oddly enough, upside-down.

Soon enough, what looked like four buttons flashed in front of each brother. FIGHT, ACT, ITEM and MERCY.

Yukio attempted to find the words to describe what was happening. "This...this is..."

Flowey smiled cheerfully. "Those are your SOULS, the very culmination of your beings," the elder sibling gasped in awe. Yukio frowned. "Wait, if those are our SOULS, how are we still alive?"

"Why are they of different colors, and why is mine upside down?" Rin asked with a confused look on his face. Flowey's smile dimmed a bit.

"SOULS come in a variety of colors. Red, for example, means that your defining feature, for now at least, is DETERMINATION. Purple means your feature is PERSEVERANCE. I have no idea why your SOUL is upside down, kid. And Yukio, this is just a manifestation of your SOUL." Flowey finished with the answers. "As I was saying, your SOUL starts off weak, but can grow strong if you gain a lot of LV!"

Yukio's stance immediately changed. "How do you gain LV? And what _is_ LV?"

"Love, maybe?" Rin took a guess. Flowey giggled. "You're right, kid! You want some LOVE, don'tcha?" both kids nodded. "Don't worry, I'll share some with you." he released several pellets from the ground around it. "Down here, LOVE is shared through little white 'friendliness pellets'."

Yukio, however, had noticed Flowey looking to the side as he said that. His eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Nii-san, are you sure...?"

The pellets were already well on their way to touch their SOULS. "Ow!" Rin hissed and Yukio yelped in pain, hating that he was correct. Friendliness pellets=BAD. The flower's face had changed to something Yukio could only describe as 'demonic'. "You _idiots_. In this world, it's KILL or BE killed!"

Rin's eyes widened as he instinctively clung to Yukio. "Weren't you going to _help_ us?!"

"What would I gain by helping you?!" the demonic flower screeched. "Why would ANYONE pass up an opportunity like this?" The twins watched as, to their horror, the bullets formed an unavoidable circle around them. "DIE!" Flowey screeched in a demonic tone. The pellets drew nearer dangerously quickly.

For the first time, the younger twin understood how love made someone capable of hate. Because he was going to die and Nii-san was going to die and there was nothing he could do about it. He wished he hadn't kept his guns at hom, that way he could have showed the flower what real bullets looked like. If they survived the following minutes, nothing would stop him from plucking that flower and tearing every single petal.

Just before it reached them, the pellets went up in flames and were reduced to ashes. Flowey had a look of confusion on his face that was mirrored by the twins. A fireball came next, singing Flowey and knocking it away as it let out a pained yell. Yukio tensed for a moment, but it was quickly forgotten as a goat wearing a dress walked into the room with the posture and dignity of a queen. "What a terrible creature, torturing such poor, innocent youths." she said.

Rin put himself in front of Yukio as the goat woman came closer. "Do not be afraid, my children. I am Toriel, caretaker of the ruins. Would you like to come inside? I fear you might run into more monsters if you are here too long."

Yukio bristled at the invitation. If it were up to him, it would only be his Nii-san and him, but the flower was right. It¿f they were to survive they would need allies. Preferably powerful ones.

"Please, as long as you are with me, you have my word that no harm will come upon you." Toriel insisted.

Deciding this decision was too important to be left solely up to him, Rin gestured for Yukio to come into a huddle.

"Should we?"

"It's either this or wait for the world's meanest weed to come back, Kio-touto-chan." Rin answered, a wide grin on his face at the end.

"You're right, Nii-san, it's our best option."

They broke up their huddle to face Toriel, their hands still clasped, a ward against the encroaching dark. "We've decided we'll go with you."

"...If you'll still take us?"

Without warning, two arms easily wrapped around them, pressing them against a chest that smelled strongly of butterscotch. The scent felt warm in their noses as the elder twin sank into the embrace, tired and hurt and still so trusting, still so willing to believe that Flowey was just a fluke, and they'd be able to make it in this world.

Yukio promised himself he would never be caught this off-guard by anything. No matter if it was even a demon puppy. He had to protect his sibling, and so he needed to be alert.

**Heh. You remind me of myself. kid...**

Well that was very worrisome.

The glasses-clad child shifted a bit in Toriel's embrace, who was already carrying them both. "I am Yukio." he wasn't prepared for what came next. The blue-haired boy seemed to think for a few seconds, before giving an answer Yukio had not expected.

"My name's Frisk."


	2. The Ruins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yukio, his brother and 3 8 1 18 1 enjoy their time at Toriel's.  
> !  
> ...  
> :)

Toriel had led the twins into another room. This one was pretty with a purple floor and purple walls and rose petals everywhere. There were stairs at the end but Yukio also noticed a golden star, which he turned over to look from his position in the goat's arms. Reaching out, he gently touched the star. **The shadow of the Ruins looms above, filling you with determination,** the same voice randomly quoted, which Yukio decided to ignore.

A screen appeared over the star. It was black and at the top it said 'empty' 'LV 0' and '0:00'. Underneath were two buttons, save and return. Hesitantly, Yukio pressed his hand against the save button. He then let his head rest once more. He was tired...

* * *

"Hello?" it took Yukio a moment to notice that his voice shouldn't echo like that in such a large room. He could see blackness, blackness, oh he could see himself. And blackness.

**"Greetings."**

Yukio looked up in shock at the voice, coming face to face with a.. floating person? The person had brown hair and red eyes, and wore a yellow and green shirt. They looked around 12 or something, definitely older than Yukio. They had pale skin, and they were looking at him with a smile. Eyeing the person closer, Yukio wondered if they were a boy or a girl- he couldn't really tell.

 **"I am Chara."** they said.

"Konichiwa. I'm Yukio." he greeted back, mostly out of habit than anything else. This felt way too real to be a dream. Had a demon possessed him? "Am I dreaming?"

Chara nodded. **"Yes. I am surprised you didn't feel as though something was wrong. I have been talking to you since you and Frisk fell."**

"That was you?!"

 **"It was me. Not my fault you two woke me."** at Yukio's confused look, they elaborated. **"You two landed on my grave when you fell, the patch of flowers,"** they explained, ignoring Yukio's horrified stare. **"Frisk's SOUL is the same color as mine was, and somehow his DETERMINATION brought me back to life...kind of. Yours is the one with the correct shape, so I latched onto you...I think. I have a few theories of why, but..."** Yukio watched as his ghostly companion trailed off, mumbling to themself.

If Chara didn't talk to him, it would make for a very long night. "Will you tell me more, Chara-san?"

* * *

The blankets felt wrong. They were softer than he was used to, comfier, neater, not as crumbled. He was always staying up late with a book or a journal in his lap, so his covers were usually a twisted mess by the time he finally drifted off to sleep. There were other, less obvious hints that still niggled in the back of his mind as his consciousness struggled to surface. The pillow squished under his ear didn't smell like him. It smelled crisp, fresh in a way that made him wonder if it'd never been slept on before, or if it'd just been a very long time since anyone had done so.

Since falling into the mountain had to have been some sort of crazy dream, there was obviously a very real, very rational explanation for why he'd fallen asleep in a bed that wasn't his.

Opening his eyes, Frisk noticed the walls painted red as tomato skins, the carpet laid over the wooden floorboards, the child-sized mattress that fit him better than his own bed at home, and the variety of toys lined up neatly in a row beside his bed. Yukio was curled up beside him.

This room was very nice. Toriel must have placed them there after she found them. He didn't remember much of what happened after the goat lady found them.

"Kio-chan, I'm gonna see where's Toriel," Frisk whispered. "That okay with you?" the only answer was a soft exhale. "Great, thanks."

Dashing out of the room, he found himself in a beige hallway, deciding to explore the other rooms of the house at a later date. He finally found Toriel in the kitchen, where she appeared to be getting herself ready to bake something, if the ingredients were any indication. She turned around.

"Awake already?" the goat monster asked the sweater clad child. "I was getting started on baking a pie, to celebrate your and your brother's arrival."

"You're cooking? Can I help? Can I?" Frisk nearly vibrated with excitement, azure eyes practically glowing. "Please? The place I like best in the world is the kitchen.'" he continued. "No matter where it is, no matter what kind, if it's a kitchen, if it's a place where I can make food, it's fine with me. Ideally it should be well broken in. Lots of tea towels, dry and immaculate. White tile catching the light, ting! Ting!"

"I don't see why not." Toriel said with a warm smile.

It was a miracle Frisk's excited whoop didn't wake the younger brother.

* * *

"Kio-chaaaan!" the yelp inches away from his ear caused Yukio to bolt into a sitting position, his inner eye filled with images of his new...companion. Once he had regained his bearings (and located his glasses) he found himself face-to-face with Rin's grinning face, holding a plate with a piece of pie which gave off an -admittedly- delicious smell.

"You're awake!" Rin somehow managed to say this with utmost surprise, as though that hadn't been the intended reaction. "I woke up early and helped Yagi Kaa-san make a pie for us!"

 **Is it a chocolate pie? Please tell me it is!** Chara's suddenly excited voice echoed through Yukio's head.

Well, it certainly was a relief Rin still had his priorities straigh, namely feeding his little brother his prodigious food.

Wait...

...goat mom?

"Nii-san?" he spun around, practically glowing. "Why did you call Toriel 'goat mom'? Did she ask you to call her that?" Hiding his alarm was proving to be an impossible task, so he gave up on it completely.

"Not exactly." For once, Rin actually hesitated to speak, his brow furrowed as he seriously considered what effect each possible answer could have on his brother. "I was still kind of groggy and we were baking and it just slipped out, you know?"

"You went outside without me?! What if something happened?" He'd have been sound asleep, completely unaware, and his innocent Nii-san could have been injured or lost or something so awful he didn't even want to think about it. There was worrying too much then there was not worrying enough. "That is so- I don't even – You -" Technically, the goat creature – Toriel – hadn't asked Rin to call her mom, so it wasn't that weird.

How long had they been asleep? Their dad must have realized by now that they were missing, but who would think to look for them underground? Was Shiro already sending out search parties?

"I didn't went outside." Rin crossed his arms in a stubborn manner. "I just went to explore the house. And I made a pie. Which you should eat." he thrust the plate to the younger.

"It's a cinnamon and butterscotch pie." the navy-haired boy informed.

**Aww, shoot...**

Yukio didn't say anything. He loved when Rin cooked, it brought him the perfect balance of satiety, physical fullness, and flavors; the sensations unfolding in slow, measured chapters. Meals his father or the other priests cooked, or on walks to and from exorcist classes, were palliative in nature, and painfully inferior. The first thing Rin had had prepared for him that was edible was scrambled eggs. There were other elements to the dish, namely sausage, but the eggs stood out to Yukio. He remembered being baffled that something so simple had been elevated so far beyond the ordinary. If Rin could make scrambled eggs, one of the most foolproof meals ever devised, into something fit for a king, then he could do anything.

He promptly dug into the pie, savoring it with relish.

"I explored the house while you were sleeping," Rin began, taking advantage of his twin's mouth being full. "I think she had a bunch of children once, coz of the room and the lot of shoes in that box. Maybe they grew up, moved out, went to college...do goats go to college?" he trailed off, probably intending to ask later. "She really likes jokes! She has a book full of them! She told me she has a friend behind the basement door and they exchange jokes all day long." before Yukio could express his disbelief at his Nii-san willingly touching a book, the boy ran over his statement like a bulldozer. "Why did the skeleton want a friend?"

He paused to wait for Yukio's reaction, looking about ready to explode with the urge to blurt out the punch line.

Suppressing a sigh, the younger shrugged. "You got me, Nii-san. Why did the skeleton want a friend?"

He trembled as a fresh wave of laughter nearly overtook him. "Because he was feeling bonely!" he grinned, waiting for him to laugh. It wasn't that he didn't want to; he knew he just wanted to cheer him up, but it didn't sound that funny to him. It sounded kind of sad, actually.

Chara, meanwhile, was losing it in his head, crackling and snickering and mumbling she liked both twins now.

"Tibia honest, I'm pretty sure I can come up with better." Yukio said, mouth pulling up into a grin effortlessly. It was a pretty good day so far, if we don't count the fact he was trapped underground. He found the identity of the voice in his head and now Nii-san had given him breakfast in bed.

* * *

The two weeks they spent with Toriel were very nice, and had a sort of a timeless air to them. Rin had managed to flirt with a few monsters outside the house (much to Yukio's exasperation and Chara's hilarity). Right now, though, they found themselves pretty bored. Toriel had given them blocky cellphones and had gone to the kitchen. Yukio was already tired of coloring, and the books about snails...they didn't interest him. His brother, meanwhile, was completely absorbed in drawing...whatever the hell that was.

"Nii-san, I'm bored." he purposefully whined. Rin gave no signs of hearing him. Odd. Usually when he proclaimed his boredom Rin would go into Big Brother mode and make up a hundred new way of entertainment.

"I'm booored, Nii-tan." There. Now there was no way he wouldn't...

...

...

...

"Wow. You sure know how to manipulate people. I'm impressed." Chara piped up in a flat tone of voice.

"Rin-Nii-san, I'm bored." he tried one last time. Rin turned his gaze away from the drawing.

"I heard you the first time, Yukio. Just wait till I'm finished with this. And please, don't call me that again." Rin sighed before turning back to coloring somewhat violently.

"Why not? That's your name."

"It's not! From now on, my name's Frisk, ok?" Rin snapped. Yukio didn't dignify him with a response. He simply got up and walked out of the door.

"You're going exploring, aren't you? We told Toriel-" his brother's voice rang from the room.

"I'm just going to look around a little, Nii-san. I said I wasn't going to leave and I won't, but I'd feel better if I knew where the exit was." Yukio said, heading towards the door of the house.

A while later, an equally silent Rin tiptoed towards the basement door.

* * *

Yukio descended the steps carefully, and was surprised to find a seamless corridor in place of a garden, or more houses. The still air dropped a degree or two with every step forward he took. As he squinted, trying to catch details through the paltry lighting that would provide some clue as to the corridor's purpose, and hopefully point them towards the closest exit, a dull gray object lying on the ground caught his eye. Curious, he crept towards it.

It was a toy knife.

Its blade and hilt were made of plastic, which meant that one of the kids who'd stayed with Toriel before them must have dropped it. Picking it up, Yukio pressed a finger against what would have been the sharp edge had it been a real knife. It was surprisingly sturdy for a toy, not sharp or lethal by any means, but a hard jab in the ribs with it would probably do some minor damage. At the very least, he was confident it wouldn't tickle.

In a blink, the toy knife was out of his hand and out of sight, becoming a burning weight in his pocket, instead.

Strange.

He didn't remember deciding to hold onto it.

**"Monsters may attack you, you dummy. It might be useful."**

Well he wasn't going to argue with that logic.

He was just about to turn a corner when a pale white frog the size of a small child leapt to block his path. Yukio gulped. A frog that size could fit his entire head in its mouth. It bobbed a little, moving back and forth, its large, bulbous eyes glittering with intelligence.

He felt a soft pain in his chest, and his SOUL popped up. He reared back. "C-Chara-san?!"

 **"Froggit attacks you."** Chara said, sounding startled.

Yukio felt the weight in his pocket grow heavy. His fingers twitched towards the toy knife, and the frog, startled by the movement, launched itself forward. The boy ducked and it sailed past, landing a few feet further down the corridor, then it twisted around to face him.

"Chara-san! Nii-san! Help!"

It was too quick, there wasn't enough space to move; it was going to hit him. His trembling hands found the knife, and he positioned it. a gray blur struck the air, slashing through the frog's body without resistance. Instead of dying immediately, an agonized ribbit! stabbed the air, and Yukio backed away, watching silently and with mounting horror as the pieces of the frog's began to break away, turn to dust, and return to nothing.

"I – I didn't mean to." The toy knife fell from trembling fingers. "I swear I didn't mean to." The dust was on his hands, his sweater, his glasses. When he drew in a breath some of it entered his mouth and he doubled over in a violent coughing fit.

"Yukio, it was an accident."

"I have to go home. I have to find Nii-san and go home." that was his only clear thought.

* * *

The recently christened Frisk passed into the hallway to his room just in time to see Toriel going to the kitchen from the basement.

For a long moment, he hesitated at the head of the stairs, trembling. Then, slowly, he moved down. It was a very long corridor, and at the end of it lay a huge door. Frisk hesitated for a moment, before deciding to try anyway.

He knocked on the door. "Wanna hear a joke?"

There was a pause in which Frisk wondered how stupid he must look, talking to a door, when a voice answered him. "you're not the old lady." it was definitely male. "but sure, why not."

"Yesterday I swallowed some food coloring. The doctor says I'm OK, but I feel like I've dyed a little inside."

The laughter didn't wait this time. "finally, another pungeon master. hearing that should warm my heart, kiddo, but i'm afraid i'm just chilled to the bone out here."

Frisk scratched his chin, and then lit up. "Oh! Are you a skeleton?"

The door chuckled. "whoops. forgot you wouldn't know. sheesh, explaining the joke always makes it fall flat." He paused. "this skeleton was trying tibia little humerus."

Frisk chuckled, then he rapped gently on the door, and the voice chuckled out a "who's there?"

"Isn't that my line?" Frisk asked mischievously.

"... heh. i get what you're driving at." The voice laughed again. "heh. driving. good thing pap's not here, my brother, or he'd talk your ear off about all the cars he wants to try driving. when we all get to the surface, that is."

Frisk giggled. "How does he know?"

"about cars?" The voice paused. "magazines. i, uh, bring him any i find. he loves 'em. anyway." He chuckled. "you, uh, wanted to ask my name, right?"

Frisk nodded. "Unless you don't want to tell me either."

The voice seemed to consider this. "tell you what. when you come over, i promise i'll be the first monster from this side to introduce himself. deal?"

Frisk pressed his palm to the door with a soft slap. "Deal."

The voice laughed softly. "don't worry. i kinda tend to stand out." There was a soft rattle of bones on stone. "you'll probably know me before i even have to say a word. see you soon?"

"See you,"

Frisk was halfway to the stairs when he spotted Toriel coming down. "Hi Kaa-san." he did get a little worried when he noticed the expression on her face. He didn't get a chance to ask why, because Yukio was fast on her heels. "What's down here? Where's the exit? Nii-san and I have to go home."

"You wish to go home?" Toriel muttered, more to herself than to the two children in her presence. "Of course. You always do." She looked through them. "Go upstairs." Then she strode past them, holding her head high, as remote and untouchable as a living sculpture carved from stone.

"There's nothing there, Yukio," Frisk caught his taller brother by the hem of his sweater when he tried to go past him. "Just a huge door and a punny skeleton on the other side. Why are you so dusty?"

Yukio's lips parted in a silent cry, as if he had been stuck. "Nii-san, trust me, we need to go. Tou-san must be worried sick by now! Nii-san, let me go." his words had an undercurrent of steel Frisk had never noticed before. "Something isn't right. Have I ever lied to you?"

Wordlessly, Frisk let go of the green and yellow sweater, following his brother to the place he had just come from.

"The other children, they all wanted to leave, too, and then they never came back." The shoes. The empty room. The toys. No wonder she didn't want them to leave. "I thought, given time, that you might like it here. You boys are no different from the rest."

"What? I don't want..." Frisk started, but the words got caught in his throat.

"You naive children... If you leave the RUINS... They... ASGORE... Will kill you. I am only protecting you, do you understand? If you truly want to leave the Ruins, then you will have to prove to me that you are both strong enough to survive."

"Are you kidding me?!" Yukio blurted out. "You talk about protecting us, then you say you'll keep us prisoners? And if we try to leave, we must fight you?!" his hands had fisted, and he was sure he'd draw blood if he didn't stop. "I can't believe I allowed myself to trust you!"

"Why? Because I am a monster?"

"Yes, that may have been one of the reasons...but now I find out you are an hypocrite!"

Frisk was looking nervously back and fro. "Guys...there's no need to fight...we can talk this out over a piece of pie, ne?" What had changed? Why was Toriel so upset? Why would they die if they left? What was out there? Who was Asgore?

He didn't get an answer. As one the Okumura twins' SOULS appeared in front of them. The air around them grew incredibly warm. Fireballs appeared a few feet in front of them, rushing at them while the goat monster looked on impassively. Both boys clutched their SOULs to their chests.

"Wait! Stop!" Frisk cried out as he threw himself to the side, Yukio doing the same. "Mom, I don't wanna fight you!" a sob was building on his throat, the tears were building in his vision, making focusing on the flames a pretty difficult task. The heat passed too close to him, again and again, until he was sure his sweater must have been burnt in a few places.

"Fight me or run away."

Frisk finally found his voice, lurching forward. "No!" he walked up, dodging a few fireballs. " _No_!" he said more forcefully. "I'm not fighting you!" to both Yukio and Toriel's surprise, he lunged forward, making Yukio question just what was he doing, what was his plan, but the flames were already forming on his path, and any warnings came too late.

The fireballs hit him in the chest, the light giving his navy hair a pale blue hue for a moment. Rin went backwards, slumped on the ground. He didn't move again.

Possessed by a kind of recklessness that Yukio always admonished his brother for, the brown haired boy threw himself at his brother, holding him tight. "Nii-san?" it was a whisper, he only had eyes for him, and he barely noticed the flames flashing past them nor Toriel's shocked and regretful expression. His mouth only formed the same words, over and over again. "Nii-san Nii-san Nii-san..."

Something came from the exit, words that could have been an apology, but Yukio was beyond that. "You said you'd keep us safe." he muttered, looking at his caretaker with glassy eyes, because now Rin was hurt or worse and it was only Toriel's fault. "You hurt my brother. You don't get to feel bad."

Attacking her wouldn't do anything. It wouldn't help Rin. It wouldn't help anyone. But she deserved it. Even knowing he wouldn't stand a chance against her, even knowing he didn't have magic or a weapon or any upper body strength, Yukio wanted to fight her, to hurt her, to make her pay. Toriel's face was hidden by the paws placed over it, her back curved with the weight of her remorse, her guilt. "I am so sorry."

**Don't you dare, kid. That's- that's my mom!**

Shoving a hand into his pocket, Yukio gripped the knife, torn between taking another life, an act he knew Rin wouldn't have wanted, and staying by his side. The quiet sound of a soft, feeble cough filled him with a relief that brought him back from the edge. "You hurt my brother." Though she must have been expecting this, the goat woman still couldn't entirely keep herself from flinching. "But he's alive."

**That's it, Yukio.**

"And I know neither him or Tou-san would approve of fighting so...I'm talking to you. Stop this. Let us go."

After letting a low groan, Rin's eyes slowly opened. "Did we win? Is Kaa-san still mad?"

Yukio could only watch with relief as the flames disappeared completely along with their SOULS. He turned to his brother. "Nii-san..." whatever Frisk had been expecting, it wasn't the taller boy roughly pushing him. "You idiot! Don't ever do something like that ever again!"

Utterly baffled, Frisk looked up to Toriel. "Forgive me, my children. It was not my intention to harm you. I merely wished to protect you, but… perhaps the Ruins are no place for you, after all. It is much too small, too lonely here. You would only be unhappy. However, if you truly want to leave, I must ask of you a small favor."

"What's it mom?" Frisk asked before Yukio could open his mouth, pushing himself off the ground.

"If you are to leave this place, please do no come back."

Frisk made a litany of distressed, wounded noises. She embraced them both, her paws wrapped around them as though she might never hold them in her arms again. And she wasn't their mom, but she was kind, and despite knowing them for only a short time, she'd loved them in her own way. It seemed no time had passed at all before she was letting them go. "Goodbye, my children. Be safe."

When she left, Yukio noted that Rin looked like he might want to follow her. "Leaving her like that doesn't feel right. Can we wait? Maybe she'll come back."

The two boys waited for a few minutes, hoping to see a white figure, or to smell the sugary smell of pie.

But nobody came.

* * *

Eventually, they couldn't put off leaving any longer. The door wasn't as heavy as it looked, though. It practically swung open at the barest touch, giving them access to the mostly lightless room beyond it. In the center was a lonely green patch of grass that rested under a concentrated stream of light.

The world's meanest weed suddenly sprung up from beneath the soil. "Cle-" that was when he was cut off by a grey toy knife aimed straight at it. The flower went back the way it came, only to reappear a bit to the left amidst the elder sibling confused exclamations.

"What the heck do you think you're doing?!" Flowey screeched. Yukio couldn't help but feel smug. "In this world, it's KILL or BE killed! There is no way around it. Though some of you need to learn that particular lesson."

Yukio tensed up. Had that flower seen him kill that frog? Had it been following them the entire time?!

"Clever. Verrrryyy clever." Flowey said. "You think you're really smart, don't you?" it rounded on Yukio. "So you were able to play by your own rules. You spared the life of a single person. Froggit, Whimsun. Vegetoid, Loox. Migosp, Moldsmal. Do me a favor, Yukio, and think about those names. Do you think any of those monsters have families? Do you think any of them have friends? Each one could have been someone else's Toriel. Someone else's Nii-san." Yukio was so tense he was sure his back would hurt later. "Selfish brat. Somebody is dead because of you." the flower proclaimed.

"Hey! Quit messing with my brother!" Rin stepped up, enraged. Flowey wasted no time in popping up in front of him, a demonic grin in its features.

"Don't get me started on you, kid. I bet you feel like a saint. You didn't kill anybody this time." Flowey conceded. "But what will you do if you meet a relentless killer?" it inquired. "You'll die and you'll die and you'll die, until you tire of trying." Rin blinked slowly, noting the odd phrase. "What will you do then? Will you kill out of frustration? Or will you give up entirely on this world...and let ME inherit the power to control it?"

"Never!" Rin growled. Yukio managed to pull out the knife and was aiming it at Flowey again. "

"I am the prince of this world's future. Don't worry, my little monarch, my plan isn't regicide. This is SO much more interesting." Yukio threw the knife at it once again, causing the plant to go back into the soil, and appear again a few moments later, crackling. "You missed."

Then, it disappeared for good.

"Yukio, what...what did it mean by that?" Rin asked as they began to hesitantly walk again.

The younger twin sighed.

**I can help you tell, if you'd like.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is it! We've left the Ruins, Yukio has a buddy in his head that's actually not murderous, Frisk is a sweetheart and Flowey is a dick.
> 
> Review please!


	3. The Skeleton Brothers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk and Yukio meet Papyrus and Sans

"Don't worry, Yukio." Rin said, hugging him tightly after hearing the short but tragic tale. "It was an accident, ne? It's gonna be fine. We'll get through this, ok?" The younger brother didn't say anything as they continued walking and eventually were completely out of the Ruins.

The first thing the twins noticed was the cold. An incredible chill that hung in the air and seeped into their bones. Their sweaters were warm, but Yukio was sure they would need some more protection against the cold.

A light caught his eye and he turned to it.

 **Why is there a camera in the bushes?** Chara asked in bewilderment. Yukio shrugged in answer.

"Hurry Yukio!" Rin called, already a few steps ahead. He had found another one of those stars, and he had already pressed Continue. "I'm freezing!"

"Yes, yes, Nii-san." Yukio mumbled, trotting to join his older brother in walking through the snowy woods. He tried not to snicker as Rin tripped over a branch, face-planting on the snow. He just laid there for a while, not having the strenght to move.

"Ah, come on, Nii-san, where's your DETERMINATION?" Yukio laughed, his amusement being amplified by what Chara was feeling.

"Frozen." Rin answered moodily, a foot still on the branch. His blue eyes stared at Yukio. "Recovering from the burn from a while ago."

The younger brother nearly slapped himself for having forgotten such an important thing in such a short amount of time. "Oh yes," Yukio pressed, helping the blue-haired kid get up. "Are you hurt? Do you need to go back to Mom so she can heal you? God, I wish I had something to help-"

Rin cut him off by putting his hands on his shoulders. "Hey, it's okay, Kio. I don't know if it's gonna leave a scar, but it doesn't hurt anymore. Now come on, we have to stay DETERMINED!" he yelled out the last word, his chest glowing red for a short moment, as if his very SOUL reveled on the feeling.

Rin's enthusiasm had always been contagious. "We will PERSEVERE!" Yukio joined in, chest glowing purple with a hint of red. Chara snickered. **"You do have a flare for the dramatics, huh?"**

_"Well, I am PERSEVERANCE. He's DETERMINATION. Problem, Chara-san?"_

And onward, the Okumura twins (and guest) continued. Snow, snow, snow, a rock, snow, snow, snow, a fallen branch, snow, snow, a resounding crack...

The glasses clad boy whirled around, noticing with rising alarm the branch they had previously passed was evenly split in two.

"Ne, Kio," Rin mumbled, his blue eyes fixed on the branch. "I think someone's following us."

"You don't say?" he wasn't quite capable of leaving the bite off his voice.

Nevertheless, they continued walking, a bit faster than before. Yukio shivered. They would definitely need some sort of clothing, and soon. He strained his ears, but the only sound he could hear was their own noisy footsteps on the snow. That was, until the voice in his head piped up "I just saw a figure walking behind you, but I couldn't see it well. Just letting you know, partner."

Thank God for Chara. "Nii-"Yukio started to say, but his brother cut him off.

"I know. I hear it too." Rin answered as he quickly took Yukio by the hand as they finally arrived to what appeared to be some sort of gate, even when Yukio could easily tell the space between the bars were just a bit too wide to stop anyone. They froze as the footsteps neared to just behind them. Yukio gripped his knife tightly. This was what Toriel warned them about. Monsters would try to kill them both.

"If they're dangerous, we FIGHT, ok?" The green-eyed boy muttered. He had absolutely no desire to end his life in a snowy place underground. Rin protested something, but an unknown voice interrupted him.

"humans."

The two would later always deny that an 'eep' escaped them. Their souls were hammering in their chests. Yukio could barely see a red mist surrounding him and his brother.

"don't you know how to greet a new pal? turn around and shake my hand."

The two of them obeyed, slowly turning around. Not wanting to make things worse for them, Frisk reached to the offered hand, and shook it, followed by a-

FFFFBBBLLLLRRRR

-whoopie cushion?

"heh." Frisk opened his eyes to see a rather short skeleton wearing a blue jacket, track shorts, and for some odd reason, bunny slippers. "the old woopie cuehion in the hand trick. it's always funny."

Frisk smiled as he recognized that voice. "Ah, konichiwa, Skeleton-san!" he greeted, remembering what the monster had told him.

"Y-you know him?" beside him, Yukio was as pale as the snow surrounding them. Frisk just wished he took his hand out of his pocket already. The older brother nodded.

"anyway, you two are humans, right?"

The boys nodded.

"that's hilarious." the skeleton chuckled. "i'm sans. sans the skeleton."

"Greetings, I'm Yukio," the taller of the boys said.

"I call myself Frisk," the other said in turn. Yukio sighed at that.

"im actually supposed to be on watch for humans right now..." the brothers tensed. "but, y'know, I don't really care about capturing anybody." then he chuckled. "now my brother, papyrus...he's a human-hunting FANATIC. hey, actually, i think that's him over there."

Frisk immediately took Yukio's hand, intending to bring him to safety. Sans led them through the gate (which was apparently supposed to be a fence, but Papyrus made the bars too wide to stop anyone) and told Yukio to hide behind a conveniently-shaped lamp, and Frisk hid behind a counter. There were bottles of ketchup on it, mustard, mayonnaise and a blanket which he quickly took hold of.

To Frisk, Papyrus was a skeleton with a funny attire and a bright smile.

To Yukio...well Chara put it better **"Holy SHIT, Papyrus is a giant!"**

"sup bro?" sans greeted as the taller skeleton rushed at him.

"YOU KNOW WHAT 'SUP', BROTHER!" Yukio heard a low 'thump' coming from the counter. Rin had never liked very loud voices. He couldn't blame him, he had always had sensitive hearing.

"IT'S BEEN EIGHT DAYS AND YOU STILL HAVEN'T... RECALIBRATED. YOUR. PUZZLES!" Chara snickered at the 'yay puzzles!' they heard Yukio think. "YOU JUST HANG AROUND OUTSIDE YOUR STATION! WHAT ARE YOU EVEN DOING?!"

"staring at this lamp. it's really cool." Sans answered, his permanent grin playful, and Yukio stopped his mental rant against Chara to stop laughing. Is he trying to rat us out? "Do you wanna look?"

 **Aww, you included me.** Chara teased.

Papyrus started to stomp his foot against the ground. It reminded Frisk of when he and his brother were little and had a temper tartrum. "NO! I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THAT! WHAT IF A HUMAN COMES HERE?"

The human brothers, unknown to each other, grimaced at the same time.

"I WANT TO BE READY! I WILL BE THE ONE! I MUST BE THE ONE!" he declared over and over. " I WILL CAPTURE A HUMAN! THEN, I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS... WILL GET ALL THE THINGS I UTTERLY DESERVE! RESPECT... RECOGNITION... I WILL FINALLY BE ABLE TO JOIN THE ROYAL GUARD! PEOPLE WILL ASK, TO, BE MY, "FRIEND?"

 _Why would anyone not be friends with Papyrus?_ Frisk wondered. He seemed nice, even if his ego seemed to be a bit too large. He smiled. _I will be his friend!_

"hmm... maybe this lamp will help you."

**Sans stop trying to rat out Yukio!**

"SANS! YOU ARE NOT HELPING! YOU LAZYBONES! ALL YOU DO IS SIT AND BOONDOGGLE!"

_"Chara-san, what does boondoggle means?"_

"YOU GET LAZIER AND LAZIER EVERY DAY!"

"hey, take it easy. i've gotten a ton of work done today. a skele-ton."

Yukio groaned, Chara snickered, and Frisk did a rimshot sound with what he found in the counter.

"SANS!"

 **"** come on. you're smiling." they could feel the smile on Sans' face.

"I AM AND I HATE IT!" Papyrus sighed. "WHY DOES SOMEONE AS GREAT AS ME... HAVE TO DO SO MUCH JUST TO GET SOME RECOGNITION..."

"wow, sounds like you're really working yourself... down to the bone."

Cue rimshot from Rin, and a groan from Yukio.

"UGH!" Papyrus, apparently, didn't enjoy puns all that much. "I WILL ATTEND TO MY PUZZLES... AS FOR YOUR WORK? PUT A LITTLE MORE, "BACKBONE" INTO IT! NYEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE!"

Frisk was standing up when Papyrus re-arrival at the place made him dive straight to the ground. He was pretty sure he'd have bruises. "HEH!"

"okay, you can come out now." they heard Sans say. Both children walked from their respective hiding places. The cold had gotten worse, and Frisk could see his little brother was trembling and his fingers twitched. Frisk handed Yukio part of the orange blanket, wrapping it around his body. before doing the same to himself. Yukio sneezed, and buried his freezing fingers in the surprisingly warm blanket. "Thanks Nii-san."

"you might wanna hold tight to that." Sans commented. "you know, it's snowdin. it's cold."

The twins nodded.

"you two oughta get going. he might come back and of he does...you'll have to sit through more of my hilarious jokes."

Frisk felt himself relax. He liked Sans, and Papyrus seemed like a good fellow. He smiled at Sans when he heard the 'jokes' part. On the other hand, Yukio couldn't help the small pout that crossed his features. Nothing personal against Sans, he just didn't like puns.

They walked in the general direction Papyrus had run off to, noticing, once again, a star. Both children reached out to touch it, and it was then when they noticed Yukio had 1 LV.

 _"What was LV again?"_ Yukio wondered.

 **"It stands for Level Of ViolencE."** Chara answered. **"But don't worry, I'm sure you won't do it again. Now let me think of my quote for this one... oh I know. _'The convenience of that lamp still fills you with determination."_**

_"Wouldn't it be perseverance?"_

**"I was DETERMINATION when I was alive. I do the quotes. No arguments."** Chara said, causing a very faint red glow in Yukio's chest for a moment

_"Still think it should be perseverance..."_

Oblivious to the quarrel his brother was having in his head, Frisk allowed himself a smile. He was determined to be Papyrus' friend and give him the recognition he deserved.


	4. To Snowdin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The twins and Chara continue their journey. Flowey plots.

'This is a box. You can put an item inside, or take an item out. The same box will appear later, so don't worry about coming back. Sincerely, a box lover.'

Both twins shared a look at the strange message as they tugged at the blanked covering the two for more warmth. Rin decided to look inside the box, and to his joy he found there was already an object inside; a worn pink leather glove.

"Thank you, Box Lover." Rin said to no one in particular as he put it on. "This could help us if we find a bad monster like Flowey!"

"You're right!" Yukio smiled in turn. The red mist that had been following him around (and which Yukio suspected it to be Chara) got closer to the weapon.

 **"Tough Glove: Weapon Attack 5. For five-fingered folk."** they described, making Yukio hide a smile.

Unfortunately, the box hadn't been out of sight when they felt the by now familiar pull on their SOULS as a monster appeared.

 **"SNOWDRAKE flutters forth!"** Chara warned unnecessarily. Yukio and Rin both ignored the buttons, not knowing if they were in a situation that they could use them or more of a action-reaction situation, like the battle with Toriel had been.

 **"If someone cares,"** Chara started, **"Snowdrake has 6 AT and 2 DEF. This teen comedian fights to keep a captivated audience."** this almost made Yukio groan aloud. Another comedian?

"Wanna hear a joke?" the monster that looked like a cross between a snowflake and a bird asked them. "Better not snow 'flake' out!" he stared with a big grin as the twins fought to keep their SOULS from touching the magic of the monster's attack. Yukio forced a laugh at Snowdrake's pun, it was so bad it was funny. The monster's eyes lit up.

"See?! Laughs! Dad was wrong!" the monster exclaimed. Rin pushed the MERCY button without hesitation, ending the battle. The elder twin turned to his brother.

"See, Yukio? He seems like a _n ice_ person," Rin chimed in with a big grin. Yukio's face fell.

"Leave." the younger said as he facepalmed. "Get out. I'm...I'm going ahead."

"That's really cold-hearted of you, leaving me here right now," Rin chuckled.

Snowdrake laughed along. "You're good too!"

"Could you tell us if there's a village somewhere?" Yukio asked, wondering if they would have to walk all night. The monster nodded.

"Snowdin Village is right ahead. Just keep moving forwards, and you'll end up in it."

The brother smiled, relieved. "Thank you!"

* * *

As it turns out, the Okumura twins found the skeleton brothers a few meters ahead, appearing to be chatting with each other.

"SO, AS I WAS SAYING ABOUT UNDYNE..." The taller brother, Papyrus, was saying. The sentence died in his lips as he noticed the two children who were tumbling along. He looked at Sans. Sans looked at Papyrus. Papyrus looked at Sans. And so on faster and faster until it seemed they were spinning in place. Yukio cracked a grin, Chara crackled freely and Frisk laughed into his hand as they watched the display.

Then they turned around. "Hey!" Frisk called out to them. "Over here!"

The skeletons ignored him, being immersed into their own conversation.

"SANS! OH MY GOD, ARE THOSE HUMANS?" Papyrus said in his version of a whisper, which wasn't very soft at all. Still, it was an improvement considering his normal tone of voice, for which Frisk was grateful. His ears were ringing.

"uhhh..." the shorter skeleton began. "actually, i think that's a rock." both human brother looked behind them to see there indeed was a rock there.

"OH."

"hey, what are those in front of the rock?" Sans asked, and Frisk could've sworn his permanent grin widened.

"OH MY GOD!" Papyrus began all over again, before turning to Sans to make sure. "ARE THOSE...ARE THOSE HUMANS?" he did his 'whisper'.

"yep."

"OH MY GOD!" Papyrus repeated with much more enthusiasm. Frisk promptly covered his ears as Yukio sent him a pitying look. "SANS, I FINALLY DID IT!" the skeleton cheered. "UNDYNE WILL... I'M GONNA... I'LL BE SO POPULAR! POPULAR! POPULAR!" the skeleton could barely form sentences due to excitement.

"AHEM," in Frisk'd opinion, the skeleton got over his excitement extremely quickly. "HUMANS! YOU SHALL NOT PASS THIS AREA. I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL STOP YOU. I WILL THEN CAPTURE YOU! YOU'LL-"

"Why?" Yukio asked from beside Frisk in a slightly loud voice, as to be heard.

"-BE DELIVERED TO- WHAT?" Papyrus stopped short. "WHY WHAT?"

"Why do you have to capture us?" Yukio inquired, pulling his brother closer to him. "We're humans but we haven't done anything to monsters." well except for that poor Froggit. "

Papyrus looked at Sans as though asking for help. "WELL, IT'S A RULE THAT EVERY HUMAN THAT COMES HERE MUST BE CAPTURED AND DELIVERED TO THE CAPITAL. THEN...I'M NOT SURE WHAT'S NEXT." he admitted. "BUT IN ANY CASE! CONTINUE, ONLY IF YOU DARE!"

The taller skeleton was already walking away, giving one of his particular laughs, when Frisk interrupted him. "What are you gonna do?"

This time Papyrus looked like he couldn't believe his...ears? Earholes? "HMMM... YOU MUST BE HAVING CULTURE SHOCK. YOU SEE, WHERE I COME FROM, IT'S A LOVING TRADITION TO SUFFER THROUGH HORRIBLE PUZZLES FOR NO REASON."

Frisk's mouth curled downwards at the same time Yukio's curled upwards. "Puzzles? I love puzzles!" the younger twin said.

Papyrus seemed more animated by the enthusiastic response. "WELL THEN YOU'RE GOING TO LOVE THE ONES I HAVE PREPARED! NYEHEHEHEHE!" With that he ran up the path, leaving the brothers with the short skeleton.

"well, that went well." Sans opined. "hey, don't sweat it. i'll keep an eyesocket out for ya."

* * *

After they had the battle with Doggo (which left Frisk weirded out and Yukio shaking with laughter at the dog's ridiculous attire) and learning from Sans about Papyrus' blue attack, they finally made it to the first puzzle.

"Hiya, we're back!" Frisk greeted them. The orange-clad skeleton immediately looked at him.

"...OH-HO! THE HUMANS ARRIVE!" Papyrus said with glee. "IN ORDER TO STOP YOU, MY BROTHER AND I HAVE CREATED SOME PUZZLES!" Papyrus explained. "I THINK YOU WILL FIND THIS ONE...QUITE SHOCKING!"

Yukio raised his eyebrows at the tone. "Was that a pun?"

**"It totally was."**

* * *

Flowey watched in confusion as the two humans travelled the path to Snowdin, in the middle of getting through Papyrus' ridiculous puzzles and battling with the Dog Guards.

"Nii-san, please, you've been petting Lesser Dog for an hour!"

In between hearing his sibling calling 'brother' to other random human, and the sheer coldness of Snowdin, this flower was in a very sour mood.

Chara's behaviour was confusing him greatly. They had been so close that last time! What had stopped them? And now they were taking the difficult way out and trying to make friends. Flowey would bet his stem it was all the blue-haired kid's doing. Or maybe Chara had their memories erased by the RESET... Well obviously something happened to them! They had glasses and a watered down version of their SOUL!

But of course! Flowey would've smacked himself if he still had hands. He himself hadn't remembered he was Asriel until a few days of being a flower. Chara must be experiencing that, too!

Flowey watched from the edge of the bridge as the boys faced -surprisingly- what looked like a decent human-hunting puzzle. Cannons, spikes, blades, a little white dog...

"BEHOLD! THE GAUNTLET OF DEADLY TERROR!" Papyrus was saying as Flowey felt the urge to smack the skeleton with his vines. What the hell was he doing? Didn't he know that humans are fragile?!

Now all he needed to do was to talk to Chara alone (he didn't like the other kid, and suspected the feeling was mutual) and everything would get back to normal again.

Flowey realized he had become distracted when the younger skeleton tried to activate the puzzle but couldn't.

"that, uh, doesn't look very activated." Sans commented. Papyrus was obviously reluctant to do it, but tried to at the kids' insistence. "I'M TRYING BUT IT...DOESN'T...WAIT A SECOND, ARE THOSE BITE MARKS? TOBY!" Papyrus yelled out as the dog didn't even look ashamed, only yipped happily. "LOOKIE HERE, IT SEEMS THIS DOESN'T WORK. AWAY IT GOES!"

Flowey couldn't deny that he sighed in relief.

* * *

'WELCOME TO SNOWDIN' Yukio and Frisk read the sign as they finally (finally!) approached the town.

"We need to look for a place to sleep." the younger twin, ever-practical, said. After roaming the town, buying some Cinnamon Buns and visiting the librarby at Yukio's insistence, they got a room in the Snowed Inn for the both of them.

As they were admiring the Not-Christmas tree, an armless yellow monster walked up to them.

"Yo!" they said in greeting. "You're kids too, right?"

Both Frisk and Yukio nodded, the asking for clarification -they supposed- was understandable, as there had to be small adult monsters and the like.

"I can tell 'cos you're wearing striped shirts! I'm MK by the way." it grinned.

"Is that how you tell kids apart?" Yukio asked.

MK nodded. "By the way, what kind of monster are you? I've never seen you around. Where are you from?"

Before Yukio could formulate a response, Frisk was on it. "We come from the Ruins. Our mom let us explore for once."

The young monster child's eyes widened. "You come from the Ruins? Awesome! I've never been there 'cos the doors are always closed."

As they continued walking, a group of monster children invited them to play a snowball fight. Frisk agreed enthusiastically, not exactly used to that kind of interaction, and Yukio declined, preferring to keep MK company and laugh at the snow battle.

After it was over and Rin decided to let the other two play, Yukio looked at his brother. His hair was messy and his cheeks red from the cold, shivering slightly from the temperature that made Yukio hand him his part of the blanket. Rin looked happier than he had ever seen him in his life.

"We should play a game everyone can play." Rin stated, looking at MK. The armless monster child smiled at him gratefully.

 **"Darumasan ga koronda?** " Chara suggested, planting themself in front of Yukio.

"Nah," the boy replied, ignoring the confused stares.

**"Hana Ichi Monme?"**

_"I don't think MK can play that... Besides they don't know the lyrics."_

**"Kancho?"**

_"Chara-san, I don't wanna anger anyone."_

"Onigokko?" Rin suggested, though his panting voice denied the game by itself. "Oshikura Manju? It's cold enough."

 **"How about Kagome Kagome?** " Chara tried once more.

Yukio sighed. This would take a while.

* * *

**_We'll free everyone_ **

**_Do you doubt me?_ **

**_A kid who slept in the soil_ **

**_We'll free everyone_ **

**_Two kids who played in a muddy flower garden_ **

**_Do you doubt me?_ **

**_We just need six_ **

**_Asriel..._ **

"Who's Asriel?" Yukio woke up staring right into blue eyes. After playing all say, they went right back at the Inn to catch some sleep. It made Yukio feel guilty, because the day before he had all but forgotten about his Tou-san, who must be worried sick...

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Chara now was pretty much a red, slightly translucent kid. **"Morning, wimpy."** the ghost greeted.

"I don't know." the younger finally replied to his elder brother, getting up and rubbing at his eyes to shake off sleep. He had been having weird dreams lately.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Darumasan ga koronda: Green light, red light.
> 
> Hana Ichi Monme: Game similar to Red Roven
> 
> Kancho: Japanese prank performed by clasping the hands together in the shape of an imaginary gun and attempting to poke an unsuspecting victim's anus, often while exclaiming "Kan-CHO!"
> 
> Onigokko: Tag
> 
> Review please!
> 
> H. E. B.


End file.
